Wife's 48

[8man]

Thanks everybody. I appreciate it.

It still amazes me at how a few light taps with the proper amount of dolly pressure moves that metal. It's weird.

I didn't know about the wax and grease remover. I was trying to look at them while the primer was still wet, looking to see any distortion in the finish. I'm going to town today and I'll pick some up so I can look again.

[dsraven]

That trick works great. It's like wet paint then so you see every ripple. I also sand in a crosshatch pattern to help eliminate making flat spots on rounded things like those fenders.

[8man]

Thanks. I was trying to sand in the cross hatch pattern, not because I knew why, but I read that was how to do it. Now I know and will be more diligent when doing it.

I was using 80 grit on a long board to remove the paint. Was that too aggressive a paper?

[dsraven]

I wax and grease remover the parts first, then I use 80 grit to remove paint where needed. then do hammer and dolly work and then once down to bare steel and you get it as straight as you like you really should epoxy prime the metal before adding any filler. filler is a porous material that is prone to holding moisture so you don't really want that against the steel. epoxy seals the steel from outside elements and seals any old paint so it won't react with any new products applied over top, then a skim of filler as needed and appropriate sanding, then some high build primer, usually a different color than the epoxy so you can see when you get close to sanding through the high build and also a type that is good to use direct to metal in case you have sanded through the epoxy, and then block sanding-more high build etc, sealer and paint. if you are like me and those parts will sit for a bit before paint and assembly then I usually give them a shot of epoxy again (another color than the high build for the same reasons) to seal them since the high build is not a sealer and can also hold moisture, oily fingerprints etc. epoxy these days is a lot more easily sanded than days past, especially if wet sanded and you choose the right brand, so that is less of a concern. if it will be awhile sitting in epoxy the stuff also hardens up so the sandpaper doesn't gum up either, especially if wet sanded. the epoxy seals it so you can handle the parts for mock up etc. I use the durablock sanding blocks for the finishing sometimes as they are hard but flexible. I use a long board sandpaper strip stapled to a piece of plywood for getting panels straight on rough in because I find the foam covered long boards can have too much "give" in them so they conform to the panel too much. a hard straight piece of wood only hits the high spots for getting things straight and true to start with. the durablocks will conform to a curved panel and still only take the high spots off as long as you don't apply too much pressure. part of the process is to apply less pressure so your paper only takes off the high spots. sometimes for those small areas or corners I will use an eraser from the office as it is also hard but flexible and doesn't absorb water when wet sanding. also, if wet sanding, change the water lots so you don't get a stray piece of git or dirt on your paper from the bottom of the bucket. some detailing places carry a bucket screen that fits in the bottom of a 5 gallon pain to keep sanding blocks from hitting the bottom and picking up contaminants. when changing paper grit change the water for the same reason otherwise you can pick up grit mixed in the water from the courser paper. when doing some rough bodywork, in the hammer and dolly stage, a huge felt tip marker from the dollar store can be an asset. just rub the marker on the panel and when you do a quick sand with the hard sanding board to find the high spots you will easily see where the paper has taken off the marker on the peaks. a shrinking disc can be your friend at the end of the hammer and dolly stage, it heats up the high spot, you quench that with water right away, and the high spots shrink down to be flat like the surrounding material. some guys have had luck using an old laundry iron for the same purpose. the metal just needs to be hot enough to make steam when a wet rag is applied. others will use a torch but it is an art then and requires practice so you don't go too far and cause more headaches and work. if you have sandblasted parts they will need to be wax and grease remover treated, then the parts should be sanded to remove the blasting profile. even if they look good the profile can be like a mountain range if you look close. if you simply shoot epoxy on them and store them for later you can end up with the peaks showing through and the parts can be rusty when you come back for them. one of those vixen body files works pretty good to take the basic high spots off the straight panels, since sandpaper goes flat pretty quick on bare steel. a flap disc also works but then it also leaves a profile to deal with. a vicious circle.
anyway, that was long winded so I will stop ranting now. keep up the good work and post those pics. it keeps us interested and motivated on our own projects.

[8man]

Thanks Raven! That is a lot to digest. I will work on it.

[dsraven]

here is a durablock sander demo. the guys have an english accent, lol, but it does show the method well. the guide coat he is using is a dry carbon product. it is awesome but a bit spendy. don't use the felt marker tip I suggested on already primed surfaces as it tends to sink into the primer and will show through the paint possibly. thaty tip was for the bare metal process and I should have mentioned that, sorry fellas. the dry coat style works great or there is also sprayable guide coats of a different color than the primer so you can see when it sands off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUzARNKYYhw

https://www.eastwood.com/ew-guide-co...QaAjLBEALw_wcB

[NorCalGal]

The wax and grease remover method is what I’ve used.

[8man]

Thanks Jan. I know I don't yet have that mirror like reflection!

[8man]

Ok, in the words of Josey Wales, a man has to know his limitations. I am not a painter, and since my buddy who is going to do the paint is still sick, I started work on the 54 hood.

We want a solid hood, no trim on the 54. So today I tried my hand at welding it up, and after almost 6 hours of weld, cool, grind, cool, repeat it's done, I think.

First I welded the seam between the two halves from the top. It went something like this. Weld a few "dots" and then grind them down, repeat.
IMG_0741 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Then I cut a strip to fill in the indention in the hood. Actually 2 pieces because I didn't have a strip long enough to do the whole thing. It went like this.
IMG_0742 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

IMG_0743 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

When I got it all welded up and ground down, I was rubbing my hand over it and it is still recessed a little.
IMG_0744 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

It felt close when I put it in there, but when done it is slightly indented. You may be able to make it out where the straight edge is. It's like my strip wasn't thick enough.

I was very careful and there is no heat warp that I can find, so from that standpoint, I think I did good.

Question 1, will it fill with body filler? Or do I need to weld another piece on it. I do hope it will be ok with filler.

Question 2, on the underneath side, do you go back and trim that seam down some and weld it or just leave it alone?

[OutlawDrifter]

I can't answer either questions, but good lord you have some patience! That's why I could never do body work, great job!

[8man]

Thank you, and I'm not known for patience, just the opposite, but this is teaching me a little.

[olcarguy]

Ant time you weld metal it will shrink at the weld point, in order to relieve the shrunken area you have to use your hammer and dolly (not that kind) to stretch the metal back out. This will help to flatten out that area. On the underside you must weld along the seam the same as the top, other wise it will flex causing any filler or paint to crack on the top side. You are doing a good job just take your time and all will turn out. If there is a double flange on the inside it could be drilled from one side and plug welded. Just don't go all the way through. Hope this makes sense....

[_Ogre]

be glad it's a little down and not a little up. i'd fill that little bit with some long fiber filler, it's mostly fiberglass and will seal any water intrusion from the bottom. follow with a little filler
for the bottom of the seam, i'd have to see it. if it bothers you cut it

i sectioned a 1989 chrysler trunk lid 8 inches to fit truk bed. the trunk lid had a very similar down pucker, i did a similar fill and have never seen any ripple or shadow of the section job. this new metal was probably half the thickness of your hood, 20-22 gauge steel. it was tough to weld with fluxcore wire. i can see why they glue body panels on now.

[8man]

Ogre, thanks. I have been wondering what filler to use, thanks for that too.

[_Ogre]

stop by the house, i have half a gallon of long fiber filler left over

regular filler and primer is not waterproof, the long fiber filler is waterproof

[olcarguy]

When I first welded the hood on my 52chev to smooth it out I used the fiberglass filler top and bottom.....A year later I had to redo all the work on the hood because it flexed so much it cracked the seam. I had only welded the top and like you I thought the fiberglass filler would be strong enough....NOT. Don't cheap out do it right the first time, not the second time.....Just saying

[8man]

Thanks Oldcar. I welded the seam on top, then I welded a strip of metal the full length of the indention, and then I went to the back side and welded the seam. It seems really strong.

When I got the truck the po had put bondo on it to make it slick. Of course it had cracked which is how I knew it wasn't done correctly.

That said, I think I got it, but only time will tell.

[olcarguy]

If you have it welded both sides you should be good to go....You are doing a good job.

[Tinbasher]

She's looking good 8man!

[mongocanfly]

looking good Robert!!!!!!

[8man]

Thanks guys.

I have been working on the dash of the 54. I know the OCD kicked in and I just had to figure something out. I started with the original 54 dash shown earlier and welded up the ashtray, and was going to use it as a replacement, but I could not get comfortable with the bars. So back to the "hotrod" dash I've been working on. I did figure some stuff out, like what vents to use and where to put the AC controls, and then I parked it again and told myself I have to get the 48 running and on the road before I get sidetracked again. We'll see how long that lasts this time.

[joedoh]

nice work on the hood! I have one a guy welded up and he didnt leave all the inner pieces installed so its too narrow at the grille. looks good on the shelf I guess.

keep going!

[OutlawDrifter]

Originally Posted by joedoh

nice work on the hood! I have one a guy welded up and he didnt leave all the inner pieces installed so its too narrow at the grille. looks good on the shelf I guess.

keep going!

Just use as an awning over your man door at the new shop!

[8man]

Ok, I'm not just a lurker, I have been working on fenders for the 54. I know, I know, finish the 48 first. You sound just like my wife, but like I told her, "I'm tired of sanding".

So, I had 4 rear fenders, none were very good, but I thought if I cut some of the more workable parts off of 2 and used them on the other 2 I might get 2 that I can use.

Here are two of the tails I cut off to work with. Looking at them now it's hard to believe they were better than the tails on the fender I worked with. The middle section was rusted out. I think someone stored it upside down, outside for a long time as it was bad.
IMG_0655 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
IMG_0656 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Here they are welded to the better fender of the same side.
IMG_0797 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr
IMG_0798 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

In the first picture you can see all the dark spots. Those are dents. I'll need to remove the paint and start work on them next, but I'm pretty happy with the fender as it is pretty solid now and I think I can make it better from here. I know they will need some more welding, grinding and metal bumping, but it is a reprieve from sanding for now.

[Gregski]

this thread reeks of quality plain and simple